Love Story

Interesting in this life are the stories of sentient beings. There is not matter is it about the humans or other animals. We are equal in this sense. I practice "bird watching" in my hen house and, you can believe me, observe many more or less tragic destinies. Here is one of them.

We bought a couple of mandarin ducks this spring. There were two couples in the animal shop, and probably the shopkeeper gave us ducks from different pairs. The adaptation period was long and hard. The male did everything possible to create good relation but the female did not want to know anything about it. 

After some time she accepted his company but did not want to know about the family. So, we remained without ducklings this year. 

In summer, my husband suddenly bought an other male. He was sold for so little price... 

The old couple hit him all the time and we did not know what to do with them. In autumn, we bought a little female. The male-ducks began just to change their summer wear to nuptial suits. We were happy: now, the young duck will court the young female, and so all will be happy.

Unfortunately, the things go not so as we wanted.

The young male began to court the others male's wife. There was a long period when she did not know what to do with them. But at the end, she chose the young duck. This is more strong and aggressive. Now, these two occupy the pond and protect it. They do not allow all others enter in it. They sit on the border or swim. The second,old, male is always with them. Not accepted but dreaming to have back his "girl-friend".

My husband wants to move them in a new big open-air cage with my big beautiful pond that I did so much to create. That pond can't surely stand so many ducks and it will transform in dirty puddle...

But I wanted to tell you about the strange games of the destiny.
In the mean time, the young duck is allown...

Strange Hobbies and Inspired Persons

Hobbies are so strange thing, you know, you can find those passionate persons everywhere. Some days ago I wrote about the bird lovers. Now, I wanted to report you about the other kind of "thrill-seekers".

Yesterday, I was in Paestum. I wanted to collect all the possible books and brochures about the interesting for tourists places. Since I accompany tourists in their visits in Campania -it's our region, in Italy- and because I'm a history lover myself, I look always for something new in this field. In Paestum, there was the XV fair of archeological tourism. It's a strange event because they promise it's the last time, every year. But they continue year by year. Probably, they find enough organizations who wants to pay the place inside the 5 stars hotel.

So, I went there yesterday.
One hour in the car (fortunately, my husband wanted to come with me and I had not drive myself) and the nature changes from the hills around our house to the plain with the Apennines chain in the distance.

I was not the first but there were not too many persons at 9 in the morning, so it was possible to pass from one stand to other.

The interesting part of this event is concentrated in one room. Those are the organisations of history lovers who try to live so as the people in this or that epoch lived. Here you can meet very "mad" persons. They love what they do so much so that they can tell you about every single piece hours and hours. I would like to hear them, too, but my husband waited me and he had to go to work else.

Here you can find jewelry creators. Their brooches is possible to buy. But they cost  not less than 100 euros since they are from silver with precious stones.

Here you can learn how to create natural colors and use them in your life.

Many copies of archaeological finds created using the techniques of that times...

And that birdie in center is natural. It seemed very glad to participate...

The long tools in front of you on the right are the medieval keys 

...and Sardenia was represented with different mannequins

I collected so many books and brochures that could not move more after about an hour. My husband was really happy to regain me: he had to go to work at the 13 and we had at least one hour of expressway.

Ahhhh.... The mountains of Salerno... Home...

Mad Bird Lovers

There are many different hobbies in the world. One collects pictures, other can't see antiques without tears. You will remember that my husband is a birds lover. This year he had many species of birds: Virginia Quails (we still have 2 or 3 of them), Rock Partridges (father, mother and about 15 children probably will go away this week), Red-legged Partridges, Quails (15 males wait for their new destination), Grey Partridges, all they passed months of this year in our hen house. Today, except those I just mentioned here, we have different nanous hens and pheasants.

From time to time, I had ..."strange" thoughts about my husband. I was glad he has a hobby but I think, the birds have to enjoy great spaces, and I do not like these games with alive beings. You will remember the pond I helped him to create for his mandarin ducks (we have 2 couples and one white Carolina today). If I will show you the photo, you will laugh all the evening. It looked like this:

My husband needed other species of birds and had to sell those he had too many copies, so, he knows all the other bird lovers of the region and at least half of them in all the Italy. From time to time, we go to exchange birds, to buy them etc etc. Looking at those "zoos" I thought: poor wives... Here are some photos.
I do not know the names of most of these birds. Many of them have not price, as said one of the owners (like that azure-blue bird I do not know the name but I like it soooo much...), because they are unique in Italy and maybe in Europe.

So, here are two collections:

 

And this is the second one